Baptist Health Announces Two New ‘Hospital within a Hospital’ Programs

Apr15

Written by:Wednesday, April 15, 2015 8:39 AM

Baptist Health Paducah and hospital Baptist Health Madisonville have both received federal approval to move forward with plans to develop long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) within each facility. Baptist Health is partnering with ContinueCARE Hospital, a not-for-profit Community Hospital Corporation subsidiary based in Plano, Texas, to operate the new hospitals within the current facilities at Paducah and Madisonville.

The first stage of the new “hospital within a hospital” program for long-term patients will both open at Baptist Health Madisonville and Baptist Health Paducah this summer, eventually saving 540 families a year in Madisonville and 800 families a year in the Paducah area from having to travel out of the area for care.

During the demonstration phase, the hospitals will meet the needs of their patients instead of transferring them out to a distant facility. Once licensed, the local facility will be able to accept more patients from neighboring hospitals.

Are too ill to be discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation hospital or nursing home.

Still need around-the-clock medical and rehabilitative care. Following the LTACH stay, they may be able to transition to acute rehab, skilled nursing, hospice care or home.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has authorized the two Baptist facilities to start the process to demonstrate need for a permanent license. They will begin a demonstration period of approximately six months in June, with the long-term goal of licensure of 37 beds in Paducah and 36 beds in Madisonville by 2016.